Pillar of Fire
by Pillar of Fire
Summary: A certain gray-eyed Slytherin had once stolen Ginny’s heart. Years later, on a magical New Year’s Eve, they meet again. They learn, at last, that your history is not your destiny . . . but is it too late for them to find a future together? A ROUND ROB
1. The Rules

THE RULES 

This is a G/D round robin fic, started by the members of the Pillar of Fire group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PillarOfFire/). Sick of continuously being disappointed by G/D fics? Feel like taking a break from your own fic, or just plain want to continue the story? We're eager for you to get going! However, let us not forget the rules

**ONE: **How it works - All submissions are taken via posts at the Pillar of Fire group; this way, we can effectivly screen submissions. Thus, to submit, you must register at Pillar of Fire (it takes but three minutes). After awhile, us Pillar of Fire mods will sit down to pick a 'winner' submission for the next chapter from all the ones we recieve – however, your input is valued as well! The winner chapter will be posted, with due credit to the author, of course, and round it goes again.

**TWO: **G/D pairing is a **must**!! This does not mean they may necessarily end up together, however…

**THREE:**Continuing from Rule #2, you may create other pairings (H/Hr, R/Hr etc), but ones which have already been set out by previous writers CANNOT be changed! If someone has written in chapter three that Ron and Hermione are married with thirteen children, they cannot be paired with anyone else throughout the fic. Shipping Musical Chairs (Musical Ships?) makes us all dizzy.

**FOUR:**See the rating? *points up* Stick to it, please. Smut shall be scorned, and FF.NET won't accept it anyway. Keep swearing to a bare minimum.

**FIVE:**You **may** submit several chapters (if you happen to have a good plot bunny).

**SIX:**Each chapter should be from one to two pages in Word, or 500 to 1000 words. This is flexible if you need more words to explain the situation, but please do not go off writing half the fic yourself. At the same time, do not simply write one paragraph.

**SEVEN:**You may write an ending for the fic whenever you please.

That said, onto the round robin!!


	2. Ch 1 The New Year

**Chapter One: The New Year**

**By Rose Fay**

**Summary: A certain gray-eyed Slytherin had once stolen Ginny's heart. Years later, on a magical New Year's Eve, they meet again. They learn, at last, that your history is not your destiny . . . but is it too late for them to find a future together?**

**To Amanda's squirrel shaped whip.**

Ginny pushed a strand of bright hair away from her face. Dodging an inebriated fellow partygoer, she slipped onto the balcony for a breath of cool night air. The elegant, jazzy music drifted outside, and the light fell goldenly through the glass doors and onto the marble floor of the balcony, contrasting sharply with the darkness of the night. 

Leaning onto the marble balustrade, Ginny gazed into the deep, velvety skies. The stars seemed so close, and Ginny almost lifted a slim white finger before she recalled that she was earthbound. Stars are for the lucky ones, she thought wistfully, wishing she could catch one, but knowing she was too ordinary to have any right to. 

It had always been that way. Growing up, she had existed in the shadows of her brothers, and of her brother's friends. Stars belonged to people like them, she thought. Stars belonged to people who made a difference, who saved lives, who were smarter, and braver, and better than average.

Stars weren't meant for her. 

A soft sigh escaped Ginny's lips. There had once been someone, she thought, knotting her fingers so tightly together that her knuckles turned white. There had been someone who had told her she was worthy of stars. He had taught her to laugh, to live, to love. But that had been so long ago; as the years went by she had forgotten again, caught up in a struggle against her life, against her fate, against the very stars. The years had slipped by, one by one, so like each other that she did not take account of them. She only knew she grew older, and that it did not matter because there was no one to care.

But it was too late to mourn things already lost, she told herself sternly. Tonight was New Year's Eve – a night for celebrating what was to come, not regretting what was already passed. But she couldn't help remembering a pair of gray eyes, and a smooth, cultured voice that became softer when he spoke to her . . .

The doors of the balcony behind her opened, breaking her train of thoughts. Ginny whirled around, bitterly resentful of this intrusion on her tryst with the past. But the angry words died on her tongue as she saw who it was.

It couldn't be. She was dreaming. Wishing on stars had never worked before, she thought, staring incredulously at the vision that stood before her. He had been a boy then, and he was undoubtedly a man now, but the long years had not changed him so much. The same tall straightness, the same panther's grace, the silky hair that fell a little over his eyes, the luminous pale gray eyes that looked so boldly into hers. Ginny felt her heart catch in her throat.

"Draco?" she asked. 

***

A/N: This is a round robin fic. If you are interested in writing the next chapter, please join Pillar of Fire at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PillarofFire/ and make your submissions there. Please no smutty stuff. Amanda, Jade, and I will choose the winning entry to be posted here at Astronomy Tower. Or join this group for the fun of it. To any authors out there, we will be doing a 'D/G Fic of the Week' thing, and as members, you can stand a good chance of being selected. 

Reviewers: Tell us what you think should happen! But be careful what you wish for, you might get it. =)

You **may** submit several chapters (if you happen to have a good plot bunny). Some things for you to consider:

- Fact: the Voldemort War is ended, and this is obviously post-Hogwarts. 

- Questions you _might_ want to answer (meaning they are not mandatory): how many years has it been since Ginny and Draco last met? How did they first meet?

- What kind of relationship did Ginny and Draco previously have? Friendship, or was it more romantic? 

- Did they first meet at Hogwarts, during the Voldemort War, or post-Hogwarts?

- Whose party is it, and why are Draco and Ginny both there? 

- Will Gin and Draco share a passionate lip-lock at the stroke of midnight? Or will Gin turn into a pumpkin? =) 

- Should this end with the next chapter, or should it be longer? You can choose to a) simply finish the fic, or b) do a cliffie for others to finish. 

- What about Harry, Hermione, and Ron? Are they all happily married, or had they been killed in the Voldemort War? 

- What about Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and the other Weasley kids? 

- Will Draco and Ginny end up together? 

If we end up not being able to choose, we will post an alternate scenes section. Anyone who is chosen, will, of course, be given credit.


	3. Ch 2 The New Year

The very talented Sigstryksagn has won the very first Round Robin competition at Pillar of Fire! Below is her winning chapter; everyone email sigstryksagn at michigrl@hotmail.com and tell her how wonderful her submission is! If you are interested in submitting a chapter for the continuation of the fic, please click on the author name link above for more information.  
  
THE NEW YEAR - CHAPTER TWO BY SIGSTRYKSAGN  
  
"Ginny." He returned simply. Ginny noticed vaguely that his tie was loosened and one hand casually held a half empty champagne glass. "Can I join you?" He asked, breaking into her observations.  
  
"Of course. Go right ahead." She murmured after a moments hesitation and moved aside slightly. Smoothly, he crossed the doorway and slid the glass doors shut. Then he leaned his back against the stone railings and sighed, taking a sip from his drink. Wordlessly, Ginny stared into the night scenery, aware that she'd become stiff and uneasy. Her companion seemed to take no notice, only slowly drinking and occasionally glancing at her.  
  
"How've you been?" Startled, Ginny stared wide eyed at Draco.  
  
".What?"  
  
Draco smirked faintly. "How have you been, Young Weasley?"  
  
Ginny quickly recovered. She shrugged casually. "Fine. You?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
They slipped into silence. Draco emptied his glass, stared at it balefully, then sighed and turned so he and Ginny were both facing the same direction. "Why're you here?" Draco asked disinterestedly.  
  
"Father's Minister of Magic now. Mum feels it's her `duty' to make him attend these social galas."  
  
"So those were your brothers back there? The ones with that terrifying amount of children clinging to them?"  
  
Ginny felt a small smile tug at her lips, and she snuck a glance at him, to find his gray eyes looking coolly right back her. That look brought her back, and she showed a face of complete blankness.  
  
"Insinuating something, Malfoy?" she asked coldly. He started at his name, then chuckled.  
  
"So it's back to `Malfoy' again, isn't it? no more `Draco' or `Drake' or even `Drakie'?" He shot her a mock injured look. "I'm hurt, Virginia."  
  
Ginny rounded on him, old anger flaring up briefly inside of her.  
  
"Don't call me Virginia. I can't believe you have to nerve to call me that, after-after." She hissed, then faltered. Her brown eyes suddenly filled with a raw grief that she didn't bother to hide much.  
  
A glint of surprise flickered over Draco's features, and she haughtily turned away from him.  
  
Draco stared in mild shock after Ginny outburst. He of course had been used to her anger in earlier days, but this time, it felt different. The anger was different. The anger was anguish in disguise. Slowly, despite himself, a bitter feeling spread through  
  
him.  
  
".You still don't believe me." He intoned in a neutral voice. "Even after four years."  
  
His companion didn't face him, only lifted her chin a bit higher and replying,  
  
"You never gave me reason to."  
  
The retort threw Draco for a loop, and he stared at her incredulous. "Never gave you reason to. I never gave you reason to?!" Slowly shaking his head, Draco felt stirrings of his anger and pride.  
  
"Draco, we've had this conversation before. I don't want to do this again." Came the cold answer. Draco stared, then began laughing hollowly. "Don't want to do this again.you don't want to go through this again." Suddenly, he hurled the empty champagne glass on the cement floor below them in fury. The glass shattered, throwing sparkles of light against the shadowed walls. Ginny whirled and stared at him, suddenly afraid. Draco's features were twisted into anger, misery, hurt, and disbelief.  
  
"Of course, Ginny, I wouldn't want you to go through this again. Oh no. Of course not. Goddammit, Ginny, why don't you believe me?! When have I ever lied to you before?! Don't you get it? You're not the only one who suffered. Not just you and Granger and your brothers. I did. Did you ever realize that?" Draco hissed venomously. Ginny looked at him, unable to talk, unable to do anything but stare wide eyed.  
  
".You didn't, didn't you?" A slow realization seemed to dawn in those dark gray eyes. "You never thought of me being anything more than the son of a sadistic maniac, didn't you?" Ginny swallowed and shook her head.  
  
"N-no, Draco, of course not."  
  
He stared at her in disgust and betrayal. "I don't need your pity, Weasley. Remember? I'm not supposed to feel anything, even when betrayed by my best friend." He stormed from the balcony, leaving Ginny slumped against the corner of the wall and balustrade, a tear  
  
leaking reluctantly down one side of her face.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Harry. I'm so sorry." 


End file.
